Profile: Finding and Assigning Shortcuts

Hidden Files in Windows (#hiddenfiles) !important

Hidden Files: You probably won’t get far with these directions or in maintaining a Windows systems unless you unhide hidden files.  (directions for Windows 2000 and above),
      My Computer, Tools(or View), Folder Options, View
and then make sure “show all files” is checked, and uncheck both “Hide file extensions for known file types” and “Hide protected operating system files”. [picture]

Read-only attribute on Profile files can play havoc (#readonly) !important

  Files Restored from a CD backup reported as Read-Only (#readonlyattribute)

Not all backups to a CD will turn on the Read Only attribute bit, but those that do will cause a problem when you try to update those files once back on your hard drive. 

The XCOPY command will not normally turn on read-only attributes, but copying and moving files with drag and drop involving removable media usually will turn on read-only file attributes.

Using XCOPY in the WinNT DOS Command Window, I personally to not have a problem with files restored from a CD backup.  Those on Windows XP also should be unaffected as it apparently (see article above) will not turn on the Read Only bit. 

If you are interested in finding out if you have read-only files in your profile.

• The “Open Profile Folder” extension will open the Windows File Manager for you with your profile.
• On the address bar of the File Manager use Ctrl+A then Ctrl+C to copy the location
• Open a Command Window with WinKey+R, then type “command” into the box (without the quotes).
• Right click on the title bar, then choose Edit, then Paste
• Change that line from something like:
    C:\Users\StandardUser\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\0e96tzqk.Firefox-Three
  to:
    CD  \Users\StandardUser\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\0e96tzqk.Firefox-Three
  hit Enter to change make the above the current directory with the Change Directory command.
  will then show as something like this, so commands entered will apply to your profile folder as the pathname.
    C:\Users\StandardUser\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\0e96tzqk.Firefox-Three>
    ...> dir ar /s     -- to find any files with read-only attributes

  To remove the read-only attributes from you profile directory and subdirectories (continue from the above)
    ...> attrib -r /s     -- to remove read-only attributes from profile directory and subdirectories.

Same thing without using the Command Window:
To turn off the Read-only protect attribute for all files in a folder and it's subdirectories and it's subdirectories, you can right-click on a folder and select properties, then first check Read-only files, press Apply button, Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files; then redo by unchecking Read-only files, press Apply button, Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files; the result will be all files in the profile folders will all have the read-only attribute turned off.

For Firefox Suggest selecting at least the folder containing the profile folder ('Profiles' folder), then removing read-only attributes for all profile folders at once.  I personally remove all read-only atrributes on my system.

Additional references:  Read-only (MozillaZine), and problem with Read-Only files.

For those that have a problem here are some alternative methods to remove the read-only attribute on your restored files.

• Use Find, or select a folder then select all files (Ctrl+A), then properties, then uncheck Read-Only checkbox.
• In a DOS Command Window of the directory enter:  attrib -r -s -h -a *.* to reset read-only, hidden, and archive bits in current directory or to reset only read-only files in the current directory and subdirectories just enter:  attrib -r /s
• Or just use XCOPY because it resets the Read-Only attribute by default.  (option /K can be used to not reset)

Another method of clearing read-only attributes might be Clear Read-Only 1.1 Download, clears Read-Only file attribute. (not used but found on a search)

Creating keyword shortcuts for your profile and chrome directories (#profile) !important

It is the ability to get to your profile quickly and easily that is important I normally use the "Open Profile Folder" extension to find the profile for the Firefox that I am in and then leave the Windows File Explorer up and take Firefox down before making changes to profile files.  Needless to say it is best to have it already installed, because if you have problems such as with localstore.rdf you may not be able to install any extension

Directions to find your profile folder (description of contents) and create keyword shortcuts to your profile (profile:) and Chrome (chrome:) directories. 

The more or less official directions to to locate your profile directory are at Firefox Help: Editing Configuration Files, but the following directions should be much faster for those on Windows.

Locate your Profile directory (#locateprofile)

Windows:  You can locate your profile folder with the use of %APPDATA% by pasting %APPDATA%/Mozilla/Firefox/Profiles into the address bar of "My Computer" in Windows (or into the Run of Start), if you used the default install folders suggested for Firefox, adapted from Where is my profile folder a topic in Mozillazine KB article Profile folder - MozillaZine Knowledge Base (suggested keyword profilefolder:)

Using an Extension to find or bring up your Profile directory (#ext)

A more straight forward method to find your profile is to have installed the Launchy extension.  In order to add a launchy.xml you had to know where your profile is and the extension helps you to find your chrome directory in your currently used profile, you can use the options in Tools, addons for Launchy, and choose the "launchy.xml" tab to see where the chrome directory is, simply click on the file path and use Copy (ctrl+C) to obtain the pathname . 

Additional extension alternatives:  Open Profile Folder in Tools menu and same option within Tools, Nightly Tester Tools.

Open Profile Folder extension, by Kyo, opens your current profile folder in Windows File Manager [Tools menu], Nightly Tester Tools which has "Open Profile Folder" listed under itself in Tools menu.

Nightly Tester tools has a bad feature in it that you can accidentally use to reset your extensions by changing the high version number to current version; thereby losing the all important red exclamation point indicator in your extensions list.

The disadvantange of any extension is for this is that you have to know about the extension, and will not work in Safe Mode, or with a brand new profile.  As a result tens of thousands of hours are wasted because folks don't want you to easily find your profile.  As absurd as it sounds an alternative might be to use bookmarks in another browser and drag items to Firefox as needed.

Locate your Profile directory (#nonsense)

Another method described in Profile folder - MozillaZine Knowledge Base -- Other profiles, would have you paste a long string into the JavaScript Error Console (Ctrl+Shift+J)   [see Picture]

From the Mozilla application's menu bar, choose "Tools -> Error Console" or "Tools -> JavaScript Console" (or "Tools -> Web Development -> JavaScript Console"). Copy the following code. It is one very long line ending in path—make sure that you get all of it:

Components.classes["@mozilla.org/file/directory_service;1"].getService( Components.interfaces.nsIProperties).get("ProfD", Components.interfaces.nsIFile).path

Using an Extension as described earlier to open your current Firefox profile with the Windows File Manager from the Firefox Tools menu, alleviates or eliminates the need for the "profile:", and "chrome:" keyword shortcuts that follow, which although are bookmarks must be customized to the actual profile name.

Create "profile:" keyword shortcut

Create a profile: keyword shortcut for your default profile directory (probably has default within the directory name) and contains your working bookmarks (bookmarks.html) which is saved at the end of your session.

Create "bookmarks:" keyword shortcut

Create a bookmarks: keyword shortcut for the bookmarks.html file in your profile directory so you can view the HTML file that is saved at the end of your session, if you made changes.

Create "chrome:" keyword shortcut

Create a chrome: keyword shortcut for the chrome directory which is within your profile. 

If JavaScript is enabled, will attempt to find your profile: (doesn't work)

Or the following should work, copy the following:  (all one line)
Components.classes["@mozilla.org/file/directory_service;1"].getService( Components.interfaces.nsIProperties).get("ProfD", Components.interfaces.nsIFile).path
then bring up the JavaScript Console (Tools, Error Console) and paste the above into the command area and the press Evaluate.

more/less information ► (toggle switch above to rehide information)

Multiple Profile Tips   (#multiprofiletips)

• Use of  -no-remote  described in Opening multiple profiles, Multiple Versions at the same time is needed to be able to have two different profiles open at the same time.
• Copy bookmark subfolders from one profile to another with Copy & Paste.  With both profiles open in same version of Firefox, open "Organize Bookmarks", then use Copy (Ctrl+C, or context menu) to copy from one Library list and Paste into the other Library list.  This works very well to copy a new folder on the Personal Bookmarks Toolbar from one profile to another.  Had thought I'd used drag before, anyway Copy and Paste does work.  Had originally done this to populate all bookmark folders of a new testprofile, rather than something like export, deleting, import, and and cleaning up. 

Extensions

• "Open Profile Folder" -- so you can open directly the applicable folder, and see what the profile name is in the folder name.
• "Nightly Tester Tools " -- to handle the title bar, it is a big extension and overkill.
• "Launchy" -- to be able to bring up same page in another browser, for more information see my summary and also read notes, actually only needed from the caller. 
  For a sample launchy.xml to be able to bring up more browsers, and to be able to bring up other Firefox profiles with other versions of Firefox, see example launchy.xml.
• "Stylish" and install style 9514 ( Color Toolbar(s) to identify profile) so you can color toolbar and dialogs differently for each profile.
• Also helpful would be these extensions for profiles, bookmarks,and documentation:  Document Map, keyconfig, Linky, QuickRestart, Stylish,
• for more permanent and secondary profiles if Documentation facilities are needed:  Menu Editor, CopyURL Plus, Copy All Urls

Configuration Files in your Profile and Chrome directories (#config)

As you become more aware of files in your profile you might be interested in some of mine which can be found as text files in the code directory on my site.

Create a Windows shortcut as well for your profile directory (#quicklaunch)

This topic is fully covered on “QuickLaunch additions for Firefox”.

Having created Firefox shortcuts for profile and chrome directories, it would also be a good idea to create a system shortcut that you can install on your Windows Quick Launch.

In your Windows File Explorer use File, New, Short -- type or paste in the complete path for your Firefox profile.  Then place the created shortcut in your Quick Launch.  Then you have two shortcuts you can use one in Firefox ("profile:) and one in File Explorer via the Quick Launch.

Some specific examples of Quick Launch shortcuts (posted 2007-01-07)  Continue on to the Quick Launch page.

Opening multiple profiles, Multiple Versions at the same time (#multiple)

• Run more than one profile, Nir (2007-02-28), same installation of Firefox but more than one profile logged on. Involves use of MOZ_NO_REMOTE in a .bat file, or use of -no-remote when starting Firefox with a command line, or the same in a Windows Quick Launch, or Windows Desktop icon.
• Firefox simultaneous Profiles, by Edward N Heinrich, the-edmeister, Firefox Experimental Tricks running multiple Profiles and/or Firefox installations using environment variable called MOZ_NO_REMOTE.
• Use of MOZ_NO_REMOTE can be used in a bat file to test with different versions of Firefox at the same time see Browser News: Resources - Testing Sites by Chuck Upsdell in subtopic Gecko-Based Browsers // Windows">Gecko-Based Browsers // Windows or as in the reference to Nir's newsgroup reply.
• Command line arguments - MozillaZine Knowledge Base, You can use command line arguments to start your Mozilla application with special behaviour.

Firefox Profile Features Needed (#needed)

Testing for bad extensions (#testing)

If you are having a problem with extensions, always suspect the last change(s) you made whether it be an extension, or a configuration change, you can find the last entension by finding the install.log in the folder that Firefox is started from.

Also check the Problematic extensions KB article.

Rather than uninstalling extensions you can disable extensions, I would start by disabling the 3-5 most likely and retest.  If not the problem then disable half of the remaining ones, if still not the problem disable half of the remaining ones.  You can narrow things down a lot faster with a binary approach than testing each extension individually.

Testing in Safe Mode, disconnects/disables extensions but not your configurations.

Testing with a new profile eliminates both your previous extensions, and previous configuration changes.

You would probably want to create another profile rather than uninstalling all extensions.  You could copy your current profile and to a new profile and play with that.

To help you with restarting providing better reliability and faster turnaround after making changes to addons.
  QuickRestart by Juan C. Avila
  https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/3559
you can get to the author's home page through the link on his name at addons.

Additional profile related information

A user profile includes personal customizations:  bookmarks, options, toolbar layouts, passwords, cookies, history, extensions.  The chrome directory within the profile includes customizations relating to appearance.  Suggest you move the cache out of the profile to reduce size of your profile backup, but first create a keyword shortcut and other shortcuts to your profile.

• backup your Profiles folder (♦), as it contains your own files and settings, and Firefox Help: How To Manage Profiles (mozilla) )
• Open Profile Folder ♦ extension installed on Tools menu, opens the current Firefox profile with the Windows File Manager, providing complete access to features available there, sorting on filename, type, date, and opening with the application such as Notepad that you want to open the file with.
• QuickRestart ♦, allows you the bring Firefox down and immediately back up.  You will save yourself a lot of time, since you won't have to watch, wait, and make sure sure that firefox isn't stuck in running tasks -- at least no where near as often as without it.
• Remove items from the main menu (userchrome.css) to make more room for search bar.
• Firefox Help: Editing Configuration Files, userChrome.css to change the appearance of the browser.  userContent.css to change the appearance of web pages, and user.js to change various preferences.
• Firefox Help: How To Manage Profiles
• Files in your Mozilla profile directory (gmal.dk)
• Moving your profile folder - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
http://kb.mozillazine.org/History.dat
• History
• Source file could not be read

New Profile changes based on Extensions (#new)

• Infolister, if you use a template, search for "infolister" in about:config for the output file, so you won't overwrite material used by copied from profile.
• Title Bar Tweaks, you will have to manually change options if you use this small ext instead of Nightly Tester Tools.
• Stylish, any styles specific to a changed profile i.e. Color Toolbar(s) to identify profile (DM*) | userstyles.org, unless the profile is for Minefield which has it's own icon.

Mozillazine Profile Articles (#kb)

• Command line arguments, using command line arguments to start your Mozilla application with special behaviour.
• Creating a new Firefox profile on Windows - MozillaZine Knowledge Base, The Firefox Profile Manager allows you to create an additional profile while retaining your original one.
• Files created on startup - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
• Finding the profile folder on Windows - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
• Moving your profile folder - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
• Profile Manager - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
• Profile backup - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
• Profile folder - Firefox - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
• Profile in use - MozillaZine Knowledge Base, and a SUMO article based on it Firefox is already running but is not responding
• Profiles.ini file - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
• Protecting the contents of the profile - browser - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
• Recovering a missing profile - MozillaZine Knowledge Base, where a profile folder containing your missing data still exists but you can no longer access it from the Profile Manager.
• Recovering a profile that suddenly disappeared - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
• Roaming profile - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
• Sharing a profile between Windows and Linux - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
• Starting Firefox or Thunderbird with a specified profile - MozillaZine Knowledge Base, You can use the -profile "<path>" command line argument to start Firefox or Thunderbird with any specified profile, whether or not the profile is listed in the Profile Manager, such as was created on another operating system, or is a backup copy.
• Transferring data to a new profile - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
  compare for to the new idiot's guide Recovering important data from an old profile (SUMO)
  For your information -- most SUMO articles not directly derived from Firefox HELP are plagurised from MozillaZine, and in general look bigger but have far less content and much larger download sizes than the original MozillaZine article.

Microsoft KB (#mskb)

• How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP, If you must access a file or a folder that you do not have access to, you must take ownership of that file or folder. When you do this, you replace the security permissions to have access.

Fixes - Blogs (#fixes)

• Mozilla Firefox 3.5 Users Clamoring For Bug Fix - The Channel Wire - IT Channel News And Views by CRN and VARBusiness (July 2,2009)
• Process Monitor, an advanced monitoring tool for Windows that shows real-time file system, Registry and process/thread activity

  Related   (#related)   (There are additional lists above)

  • Basic Troubleshooting -- mozilla.com (SUMO), If you are experiencing a problem with Firefox and are unable to resolve the issue, you may find some useful tips in this article. By following the sequence of steps in this article, you can resolve a variety of issues that you may encounter with Firefox.  Mozilla does not make it easy for you to identify your current profile or to bring up your profile in your system, and without that information you really can't do much to correct problems, so do learn how to find your current profile.  Despite its unpractical comic book style format, and superfluous right-hand column there is new material of interest on this web page.  (Keywords should be shown but they should be either at the top or at the bottom (my preference is at the bottom) in 90% normal text size without embellishments.)
  • Category:Profiles - MozillaZine Knowledge Base, index page to other pages on profile related information.
  • Profile Manager - MozillaZine Knowledge Base, Mozilla applications store your personal settings, added extensions and themes, and user data such as bookmarks, passwords, cookies and mail in a "profile". The Profile Manager allows you to create and manage profiles. With a new profile the application will run without any extensions, themes, or customized settings that may be causing problems, but you can still import your data from another profile or switch back to a previous profile.
    
  • Standard diagnostic - Firefox - MozillaZine Knowledge Base, provides a standard set of steps to follow if Firefox is no longer working properly, and offers solutions that will preserve your user profile data (bookmarks, passwords, history, preference settings, etc.) as far as possible.
     
  • Firefox customizations (Notes)
  • Creating a New Profile (onsite)
  • Problem Identification with Safe Mode, New Profile, cleaning (onsite)
  • Profile: Finding and Assigning Shortcuts (onsite)
  • QuickLaunch additions for Firefox Usage (onsite) Windows Launch Pad, and additional Problem Solving tips, if you install the shortcuts on this page (profile.htm), you will definitely be interested in the Quick Launch additions to help with testing.
  • IE users -- Install multiple versions of IE on your PC | TredoSoft (since IE uninstalls previous versions, it takes more effort in Internet Explorer.  Not of interest to me and no idea if IE has multiple profiles or not)

  Since Windows is what I use this page is pretty much Windows oriented and many people coming here are setting up a new system, which for the last two years would be Vista, so here is my link on Vista.

  • Vista Basic Home, information would apply to other Vista packages as well.

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